This is a weekly column that will provide
you with in-depth analysis of key injuries for the week and their
resultant implications on fantasy football. This information comes
straight from my perspective as a Physical Therapist and Athletic
Trainer for ten years. Over this time, I have seen almost all
the key injuries that can happen in this violent sport on the
college level and how to treat them. Hopefully, this gives you
a little more insight on certain injuries and what to expect.

Player:Marion BarberInjury: Dislocated 5th toeHealing Time: 0-4 weeksImpact On The Field: This is one injury that I am shocked about.
There has to be more to this injury than what the Cowboys are
letting on. And it turns out there was. Barber has a dislocated
fifth toe and I felt there was something else going on. He also
strained his calf compensating for the original injury. If it
were a fifth toe dislocation, it would be re-located and taped.
The fifth toe is pretty much useless when it comes to any activity.
It does provide some balance function, but its primary use if
of cosmetic nature. I thought maybe he had a fracture. Maybe it
just really hurt? He had ten days to recover from this and was
still unable to play meaning that the strained calf was more the
problem. He is a tough guy and pain should not really have been
an issue. I would have bet my house that he played against Pittsburgh
so, I will not roll the dice again and say he plays this week
against the Giants. If you happen to own Tashard Choice, I don’t
think this is the week to use him. But, if Barber is out, he will
carry a full load.

Player:Frank GoreInjury: Ankle sprainHealing Time: 1-3 weeksImpact On The Field: I was someone who had Gore in two leagues
and watched him get off to a great start, only for some big dude
to roll-up on his ankle. This resulted in Mr. Gore being carted
off the field. He tried to put weight on it right away and was
unable. It does not look good for him to play this weekend although
he has already come out saying that he would play. It looked like
a grade 2 lateral ankle sprain, which means that the ligaments
were moderately damaged. The lateral ankle sprain is far less
severe than the high ankle sprain, which is a good sign. He will
receive treatment all week and most likely practice a little on
Friday if he has intentions to play on Sunday. He should be out
for a short time, but just long enough for you to lose in the
playoffs assuming you don’t have a good backup. It is too
bad, because his fantasy schedule is good. Hope he plays this
week. I know I will be rooting for him.

Player:Brandon JacobsInjury: Knee sprainHealing Time: unknownImpact On The Field: Jacobs re-aggravated an older knee injury
that was discussed here a few weeks ago. As I stated earlier,
there is a possibility that there is some cartilage damage in
there that is causing chronic inflammation. The cartilage damage
does not always show up on the MRI. He is more bothered by this
than he is letting on. He ended up missing a game and then did
not return this weekend against the Eagles. If he twists or plants
violently, like he does on every handoff, he can continue to re-injure
the knee. He is no lock to play this weekend.

Player:Peyton HillisInjury: Hyper-extended knee, hamstring strain/tearHealing Time: 4-6 weeksImpact On The Field: If you think you can play running back, fly
to Denver for a tryout. But, beware of a season-ending injury.
Denver is down to fourth and fifth stringers at this point. Even
a thief such as Tatum Bell is still there because they are so
depleted. Hillis made an acrobatic catch and upon hitting the
ground, his knee hyper-extended. That usually involves some type
of ligament damage in the knee, but instead he strained his hamstring.
The injury is a little less severe, but takes a little longer
to heal. This injury looked a lot worse than it really is. The
hamstring prevents excessive bending of the hip as a restraint
and also has function as an accelerator of the lower half of your
body. When it exceeds its flexibility limits, you get a strained
hamstring. Hillis had carved out a nice little role for himself
in that offense and was a waiver wire gem. He had everything you
wanted. He had a plethora of touches, goal-line work and receiver
potential out of the backfield. It is too bad when someone like
this gets hurt. He worked very hard for his shot and produced
when his opportunity came. Now, he ends up as another option in
the Shanahan backfield mess.

Player:Willis McGaheeInjury: StingerHealing Time: 2-3 weeksImpact On The Field: I doubt any of you who are still reading
this column are relying on McGahee for the fantasy playoffs. He
has been a total flop this year and is in serious jeopardy of
being cut in the off-season. The stinger injury is when there
is a hit to the top of someone’s shoulder like when they
are lowering their body to prepare for contact. The top of the
shoulder gets forced away from the neck causing a stretching force
to the nerve roots where they exit the neck and travel into the
arm. It causes pain and tingling in the arm that does not go away
for a while. It can be very painful and annoying when one is trying
to use their arm. McGahee should be far removed from fantasy lineups
at this time because of his inconsistency, injuries and declining
skill set.

Player:Matt HasselbeckInjury: Herniated discHealing Time: 4-6 weeks; may require surgeryImpact On The Field: It looks like
Hasselbeck’s waste of a season is over. He injured his back in
the preseason, returned and then re-injured it again. He will
not be returning this season because of the continued pain. There
is a good chance that they go in and remove the “bulging” part
of the disc that is putting pressure on his nerve. If this happens,
he would be out of service for a good 4-6 months. But, he should
be fine for next season. As for the rest of this year, only John
Carlson has provided any value for the Seahawks. They seem to
have him heavily involved in the passing game no matter who the
quarterback is for the game.